As Kansas State basketball fans look at their next roster, they're studying who the next big names and players could be.
Wildcats coach Casey Alexander disclosed a few to keep an eye out for: junior guards Brandon Rechsteiner and Jaden Schutt. They were two of the three highest scoring portal additions, along with freshman Montana Wheeler.
Rechsteiner, who played at Colorado State last season, averaged 12 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. while knocking down 40 percent of his 3-pointers. It was a career year in production, rising in every statistical category in his first year as a long-term starter. Alexander highlighted his toughness as one of his most prominent characteristics.
Perhaps he gets it from his father, WWE legend Scott "Steiner" Rechsteiner.
"He’s just a tough guy and a winner," Alexander said in his Thursday press conference. "I think he’s very adequate on both ends of the floor, the kind of guy that I really admire. For all the fluff about offense and so forth, toughness is what I admire most, and that’s what I expect the most out of our players. He brings a high level of that for us. He’s a very confident kid; he’ll definitely be a coach-on-the-floor type of player."
Meanwhile, Alexander discussed utilizing Jaden Schutt for his perimeter shooting. Schutt averaged 7.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists last season at Virginia Tech, shooting 38.4 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from 3-point range. He spent his first two seasons with Duke before his two-year tenure with the Hokies.
Schutt will be a point of emphasis, with the 3-point shot being underlined in both Alexander's offensive style and a staple of Kansas State's recent offensive trends.
"I think the best is yet to come for him," Alexander said. "He had two pretty good years at Virginia Tech, but I think he'll thrive in the offense. I think having the freedom and shot volume to be a great shooter that he has. When he came out of high school, he was considered maybe the best high school shooter in the country. When he originally went to Duke, he didn’t get the opportunity there. He was injured a lot, but at Virginia Tech again, he made good contributions. I expect him to have his best year yet."
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